Robert Kyncl, VP, global head of content, Google/YouTube

Dealmakers Impact Report 2012: Disrupters

It was Kyncl who piloted YouTube’s strategy from the amateur to the professional by signing a reported $150 million worth of deals for new channels with a range of media partners. “All the while, we’re working on our discovery, our monetization, device connectivity — everything,” he said in a recent interview. A lesson he learned: “Audience development is equally as important as great content,” while maintaining that is the content creators’ responsibility in an on-demand world, and that YouTube is a platform, not a programmer. Kyncl is open to doing deals with TV networks who want additional distribution via subscription and has said, “We constantly want new partners coming to YouTube.” He also worked with every major studio to fill the Google Play store with movies and TV shows.